2020 Inside Australia’s Most Dangerous – Western Taipan 1oz .999 Silver Proof Coin

The feared Western Taipan is featured in its elegant skeletal form on this 2020 $5 silver proof coin. Part of a three-coin series: ‘Australia’s Most Dangerous’, this coin highlights the beauty of Australia’s most venomous snake.

The Western Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) is also known as the Inland Taipan, Small-scaled Snake or Fierce Snake. Feared due to having the most toxic venom of any terrestrial snake, Western Taipans are actually placid and rarely encountered. Western Taipans are found in the Channel country of south-western Queensland and adjacent areas of South Australia. The snakes prefer soils with deep cracks that allow them to shelter.

Western Taipans are a medium-sized to large snake, pale to dark brown with a glossy black head. Their colour changes seasonally, becoming darker in cold months. The life cycle of the Western Taipan is closely linked to that of its main prey species, the Long-haired Rat. The elegant Western Taipans are considered a rare species and are presumed extinct in New South Wales and Victoria.

Coin Features

• Coin’s reverse features the skeletal Western Taipan hunting its prey
• Coin’s obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II designed by Jody Clark
• Presented in a display case alongside a numbered Certificate of Authenticity
• Australian legal tender
• Limited mintage of 5,000

Technical Specifications

ABOUT THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT

The Royal Australian Mint is the sole producer of all Australia’s circulating coins. Opened in 1965 and situated in the Australian federal capital city of Canberra, in the suburb of Deakin, the Mint is also a very popular tourist destination for visitors and locals alike. Swan Bullion Company is proud to be an authorised distributor for The Royal Australian Mint’s bullion and numismatic products.